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Next Wave: Apple: On the Road to iPod-Live! In 2005

Posted by Dennis Sellers Mar 11, 2005 at 12:17am

Neo is Macsimum News’ international man of mystery. If we told you more, we’d have to kill you.

Editor’s Note: This is a reprint of one of Neo’s articles that has appeared elsewhere last year. We’re running it for your perusal and to add it to the Macsimum News archives.

“This is a great first start but we think there’s a lot more coming to mate iPod with cars”

Steve Jobs, June 2004

Apple’s Other Trojan Horse

It was during Fred Anderson’s last financial analyst meeting in March of 2004 where he and his associates let it be known that Apple’s iTunes wasn’t the only Trojan Horse in their stable,but that in fact the iPod itself was yet another.

In addition, Fred Anderson laid out Apple’s current roadmap as follows: 1 – Portable—mobility and wireless communications, 2 – The digital lifestyle and 3 – Music, iPod, iPod mini, and iTunes Music Store.

At the time I found those two revelations quite odd. Let’s face it, Apple’s focus concerning the iTunes Music Store and the iPod up until that moment was focus number one, period. But then again, analyst meetings are about forward looking statements, so perhaps mobility and wireless communications would prove to be number one: A point to remember. But deeming the iPod a Trojan horse was an oddity given that their explanation remained couched within it being a hint. Why did they “hint” that it was a Trojan horse and then go on to present a quasi-logical position? Could there be more to that statement that meets the eye?

Well, it appears that in fact it was really one of the best “heads-up” statements that Fred Anderson ever made on Apple’s behalf and over the next few chapters of this ongoing series of The Next Wave of the Internet, it will be proven that the iPod is a Trojan horse beyond anyone’s imagination.

The iPod as a Specialized Computer

In May 2004, Jon Rubenstein was crowned leader of Apple’s newly created iPod division. Apple’s decision to choose an advanced engineer over a Hipster type personality to head up this cool new division was yet another square peg in a round hole. However, it began to make some sense once June rolled around and we got our next clue.

In Walt Mossberg’s continuing interview with Steve Jobs at the Wall Street Journal’s tech forum, this interesting exchange took place:

Mossberg: You said the iPod was a specialized computer, which I guess it is. You’ve been criticized for not playing in the low end of the PC market. Is the iPod your $400 computer?

Jobs: Yes, we actually approached it that way. We said we’re going to invest in the iPod rather than the PDA and we also said it looks a lot like a $400 computer and for us the volume is pretty good. So yes.

So now we have a twist to the Trojan horse angle: it’s a specialized computer. That would indeed go a long way in explaining Jon Rubenstein’s new appointment if the iPod is in fact more than just a Music Player. But we’re still left with the question: What is meant by the term “specialized computer?”

In short, the reference is in regards to Apple’s next generation iPod. In an upcoming chapter in the Next Wave of the Internet series, I’ll present you with a basic overview of this unit’s revolutionary architecture. However, in order to appreciate the need for such an architecture, I think it’s important to lead up to that story with the required context. So let’s begin this journey by exploring a few of the interesting interrelated initiatives that could tie into Apple’s future “iPod-Live” and beyond.

The iPod in Telematics

At last year’s World Wide Developer Conference, Steve Jobs introduced Apple’s entry initiative into consumer telematics with their BMW announcement. Noteworthy is Steve Jobs closing point on this matter: “This is a great first start but we think there’s a lot more coming to mate iPod with car.” (You can see the video here.

That was completely in sync with his earlier comments to Walt Mossberg saying that “People want a much better solution for listening to music in their car. We’re working with some folks and hope to have some exciting announcements later this year.”

So what could these exciting announcements entail? Well, while I don’t claim to have a crystal ball, I could fill you in on some of the developments that are happening behind the Telematics scene that have Apple’s fingerprints all over them in an attempt to give you a bit of a heads-up.

Pssst … Take a Peak

Take a peek at Motorola’s Total-E system from this QuickTime (only) clip that was removed shortly after the release of this story:

I guess they didn’t count on me securing a copy of this clip, just in case. Good thing.

The Total-E system basically covers how a QuickTime-Live type of in-car iService platform will use simple voice commands to make a music transaction to your online account in realtime while driving. You could easily extrapolate that principle to an upcoming iPod by substituting the voice command with a simple click of the wheel feature. In addition, Apple will either provide a built-in on-the-fly transaction identification/security feature and/or offer an optional Java smart-card upgrade.

In context with the recent Apple-Motorola iTunes mobile music player agreement, we could easily see how this agreement is likely to extend into Motorola’s Total-E platform. We’re also likely to hear more about additional collaborative joint-initiatives on this platform in 2005.

The iPod Satellite Radio Connection

Advanced Telematics like Motorola’s Total-E platform could work seamlessly with various types of Satellite based iServices including those from OnStar or Satellite Radio stations like Sirus, XM or others in the works including those supporting the DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) standard.

Satellite radio goes beyond the car to include businesses, boats, boom-boxes, PDA’s and so forth. If it could connect to a PDA, I’m sure the iPod will be introducing this feature in 2005.

Here’s a little more on the subject from the How Things Work site: In comparison to traditional radio, Internet radio is not limited to audio. An Internet radio broadcast can be accompanied by photos or graphics, text and links, as well as interactivity, such as message boards and chat rooms. This advancement allows a listener to do more than listen. In the example of a listener who hears an ad for a computer printer ordered that printer through a link on the Internet radio broadcast Web site. And in order to do that, we’ll need to use…

The Micro-Browser

Here’s an example of a micro-browser that could be found over at QNX. It’s designed for micro displays in cars and other types of digital devices. QNX offers the leading in-vehicle multimedia systems platform utilizing the “Media Oriented Systems Transport” (or MOST) bus specification which is the leading auto industry standard. The QNX Software System is the industry leader in realtime, microkernel OS technology. The inherent reliability, scalable architecture, and proven performance of the QNX Neutrino RTOS (Real-time Operating System) makes it the most trusted foundation for future-ready applications in the networking, automotive, medical, and industrial automation markets.

What’s interesting with the QNX example of the micro browser is that the system uses Netscape extensions (frames, JavaScript, tag attributes) and the plug-in support conforms to the Netscape plug-in interface. In context, that directly links to the reasoning behind the birth of the New Browser Alliance that came out of Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) on June 30, 2004. Note the following content from their joint press release:

The Mozilla Foundation, in partnership with Apple, Macromedia, Opera and Sun Microsystems today announced a series of changes to web browser plugins that will allow web developers to offer richer web browsing experiences, helping to maintain innovation and standards on the Net.

“Apple is happy to have made a significant contribution to this next generation plug-in technology,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing. “Apple is a strong advocate for web standards and will ensure that Mac OS X Safari users have access to the latest standards-based web technology.”

Web browsers capable of supporting the new plugin enhancements and plug-ins that take advantage of the new capabilities are expected to ship this fall.

That “significant contribution to this next generation plugin technology” that Phil Schiller was referring to is none other than Apple’s WebCore. In February 2004 KDE was the first to adopt WebCore into their Konqueror browser after working with Apple’s Safari team for well over a year. More recently, the Omni Group’s OmniWeb 5 browser adopted WebCore using their new slogan “Revolutionize your web browsing experience.” Now those within the new browser alliance will be on board WebCore.

So although the QNX example of a micro-browser GUI is that of another brand doesn’t exclude Safari from running on the QNX platform. It may not be an official offering today, but it will be in the not too distant future. Furthermore, if WebCore is the underlying framework for all future Alliance browsers, then Apple gains the ability to offer consumer based iServices like iTunes or and any future enterprise pro-iService to a much wider audience captured by this new “open” browser-platform. If you’re a shareholder, then you probably just cracked a smile just about now. That works both ways, so it’s a win-win situation for the entire Alliance. Lastly on this point, Apple’s Safari has a unique twist in regards to a micro-browser design launching in 2005 that I’ll present to you in an upcoming report. It’s going to Rock and Roll!

The Micro Dashboard-Display

This particular in-vehicle Micro Dashboard-Display is from Vision Joy of Korea. You’d have to agree with me that this kind of puts a whole new twist on Apple’s forthcoming Dashboard widgets running on WebCore based browsers. Better yet, is the context it provides us with in order to better understand the mysterious Euro filing concerning a wireless display from Apple. Here’s how the reporter of the Register described the patent and illustrations:

The filing, made in May 2004, covers a “handheld computer” and contains sketches of what looks like an iBook screen minus the body of the computer. Hints that Apple might be working on such a product emerged in 2003 when a source close to Taiwanese contract manufacturer Quanta claimed that the company had been hired by Apple to build what was dubbed a “wireless display.”